By Alma L. Tingcang
PAGADIAN CITY, February 9 (PIA) – As the Philippine Dental Association (PDA) celebrates the 8th National Dental Health Month (NDHM), activities here are placed in high gear with a series of Dental Outreach in various schools of the province.
The NDHM is mandated by Presidential Decree 559 which declares the whole month of February of each year as National Dental Health Month.
Activities opened with a Dental Outreach at Libayog National High School, Tigbao, Zamboanga del Sur on February 1. A Holy Mass was held on February 2 followed by a Motorcade around Pagadian City with PDA members.
Dr. Corazon Soriano-Punzalan, PDA President said the celebration is considered as one of the most important events from among the yearly activities of the PDA.
‘‘It highlights the importance of oral hygiene and dental health as an integral part and necessary component in the promotion of the overall physical well-being of our people,’’ Dr. Punzalan emphasized.
She said, ‘‘through the celebration, dentists are reminded that they have a crucial role to play in the nationwide effort to promote and uplift the health and wellness of Filipinos.”
This year’s theme is “Ngiting Matatamis, Ngiping Malilinis, Dala ay Pag-asa, Tunay na Ligaya.”
February, as Dental Health Month is also a time when teachers help students become more aware of good dental hygiene and tooth care.
Dr. Domingo ''Dodjie" B. Marasigan Jr. and Dr. Gina Lyn Mancio-Marasigan, owners of Marasigan Dental Clinic located in Gaisano Capital Mall are engaged in Orthodontics and Cosmetic dentistry. “Dentistry is an art, I love art so I preferred to take up dentistry. When you are artistic, you can apply your creativity in your patients,’’ the beautiful lady dentist explained.
Dr. Dodjie, chose Dental Medicine as a career because he said, “when I was young, I’ve seen a lot of dental problems in the community. The trend was that if you have a toothache, you go to the dentist and have it extracted immediately. When I took up dentistry, I discovered a lot of things, such as preventive measures in the care of our teeth and other fields of specialization. Now that I am a dentist, I also educate my patients. As I have seen, patients nowadays are more aware of proper oral care and we teach them preventive measures.”
Asked how often should we visit a dentist, Dr. Marasigan said, “twice a year, I always recommend that to our patients, to come here every six (6) months for their oral prophylaxis. Dental prophylaxis is performed not only to clean the teeth but also to evaluate the oral cavity for any other problems that might be present.”
“My wife, Gina Lyn is an orthodontist. An orthodontist treats mouth, teeth and jaw problems using braces, retainers and other devices and helps straighten a person’s teeth as well as correct the way the jaws line up.
Straight teeth and aligned jaws create nice smiles. On top of that, when your jaws and teeth are well aligned, it's easier to chew food. It is a fact that orthodontic care can even help prevent snoring!
Other schools scheduled for Dental Outreach activities of the PDA are Napolan National High School – February 10; Aurora Regional Pilot School – February 16; Holy Child Academy – February 18; Commonwealth Central Elementary School – February 21; Midsalip National High School – February 24.
On February 26-28, they will have the Adopt-a-Barangay Dental check-up at San Francisco District, this city and in Barangay Anonang, Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur.
The celebration will conclude on February 29 with a Dental Outreach at Ramos Dental Clinic for students of Southern Mindanao College.
Earlier, on February 3, a Dental Outreach was also held at Lapuyan National High School, Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur.
Dr. Punzalan is grateful for the support and participation of the Department of Education and Department of Health dentists as well as private dental practitioners in ensuring the successful celebration of the 8th National Dental Health Month. (ALT-PIA9/Zambo Sur)